Conveying apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' J. G. MARTIN.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Baa, glted Mar. ,5, 1889.

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Patented Mar. 5, 1889'.

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UNITED STATES laTnNT JOSEPH t. MAR'llN, (')li BURLINWIUN, VEIUIONI".

CONVEYlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFXCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,150, dated March 5, 1.889. Application tiled October 19, 1888. Serial No. 288,558. (No model.)

descriptioi'l, in connection with the accom. panyingdrawiugs, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts. t

My invention relate-s to a conveying apparatus adapted for use in stores for carrying" money hack and forth between the cashiers desk and the stations at which the sales are made; but it is obvious that the apparatus may he employed for conveying other articles, it desired. i

The inventimi is intended as an improveinent in emiveying apparatus oi the kind in which the carriers or receptacles tor the nia- I terial to he canveyed are propelled in ouc direction on one i rack, which will he hereinafter called the forwarding-track, and in the opposite direction on another track, which will he called the return-track, hy an endless propelling cord or belt, one portion of which travels in one direction to co-operate wit-l1 the carriers on one track, while another portion adjacent to the other track and (zo-operating vwith, the carriers thereon travels in the opposite direction during the' continuous movement oi the belt.

The invention further relates to apparatus of that kind in which a single line ot' track, comprising a forwarding and return track, eX- te'nds from the cashiers desk through a numh'er of different stations and the tracks and carriers are so constructed that a carrier forwarded from any given station is delivered automatically at the same stat-ion when returned from the cashiers desk.

None of the features thus far referred to are broadly new at the present day; and the present invention consists in specific combinations of parts and in details oi' construction and arrangement, which will he hereinafter referred to.

The features of novelty relate mainly to the 1 construction of the track or guidewa-y on which the carriers travel and to the parts of the carriers themselves that co-operate with said track; also, to the clutch or contrivance by which the carrier is connected with or gripped onto the cable, and to the appliances for operating Vthe said clutch so that it may close automatically when the carrier is placed in the proper position on the track and may he opened or nngripped automatically after the carrier has been delivered ironi the track, v

and also to the appliances `l'or delivering` the carriers trom the tracks at the stations.

Figure l is a side elevation rrpresenting a way or line ot' transportation ctnnlirising two tracks and appliances forpropcflling the carriers along the said tracks and delivering them therelrtnn ai, the 'propt-r points; Fig. EZ, a plan view ol' the terminus ol' the forwarding-track at the cashiers desk or station. to which all the carriers are sentfroni the salescounters or way-stations on the line; Fig. 3, a...plan view ot thc terminus of the returntrack at the. cashiers desk or station, from which all the carriers are sent to lie delivered at various points or way-stations on the return-track; i, a longitudinal section otl one ot' the carriers or traveling receptacles; Fig. 5, an end view thereof,showinga ineditication in thc construction ot' the track; Fig. (i, a horizont-al sectional detail on line .9c ot' Fig. 5, showing a portion of the gripping device; Fig. 7, a sectional detail on line y, Fig. 5, illustrating the action of the gripping device in connection with the propelling-cord; Fig. S, a perspective view of the members of the gripping device; Fig. i), a transverse section of the track at'one et the way-stations; Fig. l0, a side elevation oi' the track and appliances at one of the way-stations, and Fig. ll a plan view thereof. Figs. 1'2 and 13 are modifications of the track and carrier, and Fig. li is a modification ot the clutch,all of which will he more particularly hereinafter referred to.

Each way or line of transportation comprises two tracks, which are for the most part arranged one above the other and generally support the carrier mainly above the said tracks, although the tracks and carriers are seconstructed that the carriers will be positively retained on the track whatever may be the position ot one relative to the other, so that it required the tracks may he turned edgewise, or even inverted, from their most usual arrangement without danger of the carrier being thrown ott, and the track may run in any direction, either horizontal or vertical, or

IOO

at any desired inclination to the vertical. The terms above and below, top and bottom, &c., will, however, be used with reference to the tracks and carriers when in position with the tracks substantially horizontal and mainlybelow the carrier which then rests thereon.

The carriers c (best shown in Figs. 4 and 5) are made in the form of rectangular boxes, having laterally-projecting ribs or flanges a2 along the sides, near the bot-tom, and each member or rail or guideway of each track has two longitudi nal members, one above and one below the said flanges a2 of the carrier, so that the latter when once placed on and embraced by said track cannot be removed therefrom without removal of some portion of the track itself.

In the construction which is believed to be the most efficient eachmember, rail, or guideway of each track is composed of a channel.- shapcd strip, b, of sheet metal, the flanges or cdgeslb3 of which thus embracebetweenthem the lateral fianges or projections (t2-of the carriers, as shown in Fig. 9, and each track comprises-two such channelfrails, the open sides of which face one another, so as Vto receive the carrier between them.

ln the modification shownv in Fig. 5 each rail or member consists of two rods o r wires, 112 Z930, corresponding to the lianges b2 b3 of the channel-shaped rails shown in the other ligures, and embracing the flanges a2 of the carrier in substantially the same manner. Vith this construction it is desirable that the carriers should have projections or flanges at therbottom, as indicated in dotted lines` at a3, to restrain the carrier from movement laterally, at theA points where the upper portions, bi'ofthe tra-ck are` removed to permit the carrier to be placed on or removedjfrom the track, as will be described more fully. later on. These channel-shaped railsA b are supported from point toV point by brackets or frames c, having' tra-ns\f'crse members c?, that aregroovcd or depressed, as shown atcg, to support and guide the propel] ing-cord d,\vl1ieh is driven by a suitable motor, the drivingpulley of which is represented at e, Fig, l, and is extendedover suitable guidepulleys, e2 e3, and

along both tracks and over a pulley, e, at` the extremity of the tracks remote trom the mo tor-pulley e.

At the points or stations where the carriers are to be' applied to and removed from the members of` the track will have to be removed; but between the stations both flanges b21)3 are continuous, and consequently thevcarrier is positively retained on the track without reference to the action of gravity on the carrier; and in order that it may be propelled along the track the carrier is provided'with a clutch or gripping device to take holdl of the propelling-cord d, said clutch comprising astationary-jaw or member, f,'consisting of anl arm attached to andprojecting downward from the bottom of the carrier, and preferably" having near its end a recess that receives the cord and just below it a lateral projection or finger, f2, that comes beneath the cord when the latter is gripped by the clutch. The other member, f 3, ot' the clutch consists of a prol jection or finger at the end of an arm, f", from a rock-shaft, f5, turning in the side of the box and provided with a corresponding arm, f, and finger f7 above the box. is provided with a cam projection, f8, that is The rock-shatt acted upon by a spring, f, (see Fig. 6,) and rier and stationary member f vthe member f3' I would engage the cord and press it against the member f;

The recess in themember f for the cord is preferably made tapering, as shown in Figs.

Tand 8, and the swinging movement of the:

member f3 is toward' the tapering surface, and the carrier is applied so that the eorddruns in the4 direction that the member f 3 moves inclosing, so that the pull of the cord tends to tigliten the grip thereon, as clearly shown in,A Fig. 7;

At 'the way-stations the lower or forwarding, track may be made, as shown in Figs.'9 to l1, with a portion of the upper flange, b3, ofone only ot the rails removed, as shown at g, thus permitting the carrier to be placedon the track, as willbe readily*understoodfrom Fig,l 9, by first insertingone flangea'fof: the carrier into the complete channel or rail at one side of the track, andA then dropping the i other iian ge a2 of the carrier thron gh the space where the upper fiange, L3, is removed on theA 'ling-cord is thrown slightly to one side of the middle of the track, so that the memberf of i the clutch will always come withits finger f2 toward the cord, or, in other words, withl the tracksone ol' the fianges, as b3, of 011e or both j cord on the same side ot' the member f as the member f2,'so that as the saidY member j"3 swings around toward'.l the member f it will. The cord-guides cBfon th-ev engage the cord. brackets must be low enough to permit the clutch to pass over them without striking, and consequently the finger f2 must come below the middle ofthe cord when the latter is resting on the guide ci if the clutch is to be closed when the carrier is' immediately over one of 'the cordlguides'as shown in Fig. 9'- and at the right-hand part of 10"; but 'itmay IOO IIO

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in some cases be desirable to adopt the construction shown in dotted lines in the letthand part ot Fig. l0, which consists in depressing the track, as indicated in dotted lines at g2, between t\vo of the adjacent supportingtrames 1:, so that the cord, which will run nearly straight from one to the other of said lira-mes, will be nearer to the bottom ,of the carrier when on said depressed portion than when the carrier is directly over one of the cord-guides in the trame, or, in other Words, the depression et the track will bring the cord member low enough to engage the cord, and the rise ot the track from said depressed portion to the next tracksupporting frame will be sufficient to carry the clutch with the cord engaged by it over the cord-guide of said traine.

I do not claim in this application the tea ture just described-viz., the combination, with the propelling-cord, cord-supports, and carriers provided with a eord-engaging` clutch, 'of a mainA track depressed with relation to the cord at points where the carrier is applied to the track, whereby the cord-engaging portion ot the clutch is brought opposite to or in line with and in a position to engage the cord. This teatu re is the subject of another application in my name for Letters Patent, Serial No 298,391, led February l., 1889, as a division of my present application.

After the carrier has thus been placed on the track ai a point Where the' removal of a portion ot the flange Ui permits it, as just stated, the grip may be closed on the cord by pressin the finger or clutch-operating handle 'f inward by hand; or, if desired, a cam, 72,

may be employed, which, when the carrier is pushed by the operator in the same direction that the proliielling-cord is 1noving,\vill en gage the finger f7 and turn the rock-shalt t 5 in'the direction to close the member upon the cord, so that the operator has merely to place the carrier on the track and then give it a slight push along in the direction in which it is to go, when the clutch will be closed automatically and the carrier thus gripped by the cord, which Will carry it on until it is in some way arrested or turned from the track or disengaged from the cable.

lt should be stated that the clutches are of i ,xa.c,tly the same construction, and all the parts of the clutches and their handles are in the same position with relation to the carrier on all the cai riers used on a given line of track, so that the cams for operating the said clutches'eitherto grip or ungrip are the same and are in the same position with relation to the track at all stations.

Then the carriers have been placed on the loweror forwarding track and connected with the propelling-cord at any station, as just described, they Will be carried on until they arrive at the cashiers desk or terminal station, Where they will be disconnected from the propelling-cord, and th-us brought to rest or delivered trom the track by the following devices, (shown in Figs. l and 2:)

At the end of the forwarding-track there is supported above the track on one ot' the 'frame pieces a cam or wedge, t, which, as the car rier arrives, engages the linger or operatinghandle f7 of the clutch and turns the same in the direction to move the member f3 from the meinberf, thus disconnecting' the carrier from the propelling-cord, so that the carrier continues to move onlyby the momentum which it has previouslyacquired. Beyond the point Where the carriers are thus disconnected the upper flanges, h3, are removed and the carrier is supported and guided only by the surface below and at the sides ot the flanges a2 of the carriers, and the said surfaces 1nay,if desired, be turned ot't or curved to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, for greater convenience.

The movement ot the carrier may be arrested either by4 its momentum being overcome by Afriction or by any suitable barrier, and the carriers may be picked up as soon as the operator is ready for them. The portion of the propelling-cord between the releasing-cam and supporting-pulley e2 (see Fig. l) may be depressed, so that after the cord has been once released there will be no danger of either part ot the clutch coming in contact With it n'hile the carriers are on the terminal station platform or support p. (Shown in Fig. 2.) After the proper change or transfer in the contents of the carriers has been made they are placed bythe operator at the terminal station upon the return-track, which may be constructed at its end, as shown in Fig. 3, substantiallylike the forwarding- 'track at the way-station before describedthat is, with the upper iianges removed, so that the carrier may be set down upon the trackafter which the grip may be closed by the operator turning the handle f6, or by means of a cam, 7L?, similar in its ojjieration to the cam h, before described, at the Way-station. The cams lz2 and z might be belen the carrier and act on the fingeny3 of the movable clutch member, as shown in dotted lines at h3, Fig. 10. As the returirtrack begins at the terminal station, it is not necessary that the flan ges b3 ot its rails should be removed, as the carrier might be placed on the track by inserting its flanges a2 endwise into the channel-shaped rails; but it is believed to be more convenient to remove the flanges, so that the carrier may be set down more quickly upon the track with less care upon the part ot' the operator.

The track may be slightly lower with relation to the propelling-cord at the point where the carriers are put on and connected with it, as just described, than Where the cord passes over its supporting-guides c3 between stations, as has been already explained, as the cord-supporting pulley ePn may be raised above the general level of the cord-guides, as the clutches do not have to pass over this IOO pulley e3. The carriers are then propelled along the return-track, and each carrier is removed from the track or delivered from the station to which it belongs by the following devices, (best shown in Figs. 9, l0, and ll.)

Each carrier, in addition to the anges d2, that co-operate with the main tracks b, has also upon each side two thin laterally-projecting longitudinal flanges, m, which co-operate with a short auxiliary or delivering track, n, at each station, which is placed above the main rails b of the return-track, as clearly shown in Fig. lO. Thus, if on arriving at a given station the flanges m of the carrier are at the saine height above the main track as the lower ends of the delivering-track n, the said flanges will engage the said track n andA the carrier will run up the said inclined track, being lifted off the main track, which has its upper flan ges, h3, removed fora short distance from the lower end of the auxiliary track n, as shown in Fig. 9, so that the main guidingiianges d2 of the carrier do not interfere with its upward movement from the main track. After the carrier has thus been raised by the auxiliary or delivering track n a sufficient distance to wholly clear it from the main track h, and as much higher as may be desired, the operating-handle flof the clutch is engaged 'by a cam, i2, which swings the said handle and the connected movable member f3 of the clutch around to the position shown Vits momentum, and the auxiliary ori deliver'- ing track may be curved to one side, as'shown in Fig. ll, or carried. on to a higher point, so that the carrier that hasl been thus delivered from the main track or automatically sidetracked, as it were, is' removed beyond the path of other carriers that may come along the main track. The curvature is exaggerated in Fig. 1l, or sharper than it would be made in practice.

The auxiliary track may consist merely of two strips-one at each side of the carrierthat engage the under sides of the flanges fm; but they will be preferably made, as shown, of two pairs of strips, each pair having' a sufiicient space between them` to receive the flanges m, as by having said flanges engaged above and below the carrier will be more posi- -tively and securely guided and held while on ferent stations are at' different heights above the flanges a2, and the lower ends of the delivering-tracks are also at different heights above the main track, so that all carriers having flanges at one given height will be delivered at the one station. where the lower end of the delivering-track is at the same height.

The station nearest the point at which Yall the carriers are applied to the return-track must have the auxiliary track, andthe corresponding carriers must have the flanges m at the highest level above the main track, and each succeeding station must have the lower end of the auxiliary track at a lower level relative to the main track than the lower end of the auxiliary tracks at all preceding stations, so that any `given carrier will be carried along the main track, and its flange m will pass below the auxiliary track ofall `sta-- tions before the one at which the said given carrier is. to be delivered. A delivering-track of this kind might be employed as a switch to take all the carriers having flanges m at a certain height from one main track, disconnect them from the propelling-cord thereon, and deliver them onto another line of track, and the carriers thus delivered might have other flanges below the one by which they were thus switched off to deliver them at different points on the branch track upon which they were thus deposited'.

The flanges a2 of the carriers may be of vulcanite or similar material, which willi-run along metallic rails with but little noise or friction, while the anges fm, which operate only for a short distance, may be of metal, and, being thin, admit of aconsiderable number being spaced at different heights above TOO the main flanges to co-operate with the different delivery-tracks, and the flanges m may, ifY desired, be placed above the top of the main portion of the box, as indicated i-n dotted lines', Fig. 5. Y

The carrier-boxes are provided with covers a4, (see Fig. 4,) having a spring-hinge, a5, that IIO tends to open them, they being kept closed by a spring catch or clasp, d6, shown as pirL oted at a7 on the inside of the end of the box, and having a handle portion, as, that can be reached by the linger of the operator through an opening, a9, in the end of the box. The arm f, that carries the operating-handle fT of the clutch, is so placed, as shown'7 that the cover a4 can be opened and closed only when the clutch is in its open position,the said armv f6 projecting out overt-he cover whenthe clutch is closed, as shown on the upper track in Fig. 9.

The invention is not limited to the exact construction shown and described, as it is obvious that modifications may be made that would be substantial equivalents to the devices shown. As an example of such anv equivalent, the two rails of the main track might each consist of a single stripand work in a channel-shaped guide on the carrier, as illustrated in Fig. l2, the said channel-shaped guide either projecting out from the side of the carrier, as shown. at the right hand in Fig.

struction is a mere inversion ot' that illustrated in the other figures, and as such is'regarded as a mechanical equivalentot the preferred form illustrated in the other ligures, the essential feature in the construction of the track inall cases being that each rail or guide member has two guiding-surfaces, one engaging the carrier from below and t-he ot-her from above.

In the construction shown in Fig. l2 the guide-surface bm, that engages the upper part of the groove on the carrier and supports the same against downward pressure, corresponds to the surface Us, illustrated in Fig. 5, or h2 in the other figures, and the su rtace hm), that engages the under side of the groove or channel on the carrier, preventing upward movement thereof, corresponds to the guide-surfaces Z130 in Fig. 5 and h3 in the other figures. ln this construct-ion the under side oi? the groove on the carrier may be narrower than the upper, as shown, and a corresponding portion ot the width of the main track may be removed at the places where the carriers are to be applied and removed, the part at the upper side ot' the groove on the carrier and the correspon ding part of the track that overhangs or is at the outside of the lower part of the groove then supporting the carrier against downward pressure,while there is nothing to prevent it from being lifted up from the track or set down thereon.

By having the auxiliary or delivering tracks n inclined upward, as shown, the carriers may be delivered finally at either side of the track, as preferred, and each carrier is acted upon only by the one auxiliary track at the one station to which it belongs.

The ilanges a2 of the carrier are rounded en the upper sides at their ends, as shown, so as to enter readily under the flanges b3 or guiding-surfaces of the main track as the carriers move along the saine, and the said upper flanges maybe slightly inclined upward where the carriers enter under them, as shown at h4, Fig. l0.

lt is not necessary that the langes a? or equivalent devices should be at the sides ot' the box. They might, instead, be below the bottom of the box, as shown in Fig. 13, in which the track and carrier are also shown as turned up edgewise. This construction, however, has the same essential characteristics as the others referred t0-namely, that the guiding portions of the carrier are between the rails, and are so embraced or engaged by the rails as to positively retain the carrier upon the track in all positions, so that the carriers may have no movement relative to the track except directly along the same.

The clutch member' j' has been spoken of as the stationary member, for the reason that it has no appreciable movement toward the cord and constitutes merely a support or abutment again st which the cord is pressed by the other member, which moves toward and jfrom the cord in order to grip and release the same. It is not essential, however, that the member f should be absolutely iixed or stationary upon the box, and it may in 4some cases be desirable to pivot the said member f, as indicated in Fig. l-l, so that its cord-engaging recess will have a slight movement mainly in the direction of the movement ot the cord, such movement of the member f being limited by the pin flo, and the said member being acted upon by the spring f, tending to move it in the opposite direction to that in which the said cord is traveling, By this construction the member remains stationary in the position shown until the movable member f has engaged the cord and pressed it against the stationary member, or, in other words, has gripped the cord, after which the said gripping action may be slightly increased by the pull of the cord tending to move both nicmbers ot the clutch in the saine direction that the cord is moving, and thus drawing the said members somewhat closer together, owing to. the fact that the point at which they press upon the cord is slightly to one side of the line that joins the axes olf the two clutch vmembers. This movement of the mcmlicrf, however, has nothing to tio-with the primary gripping or ungripping ol the cord, which is effected wholly by the movement of the niember f 3.

I claim- 1. The combination ol' the main track, a. propellingcord moved parallel thereto, an auxiliary or delivering track inclined to the line of the main track, the carrier supported and guided on the main track and provided with flanges distinct and separate from those of its parts which engage the main track, and which are adapted to engage said auxiliary track and to support and guide it thereon, a cord-engaging clutch attached to the carrier, and a clntch-tripper arranged and operating to release the clutch from the cord after the carrier has left the main track and has traveled a predetermined distance on the auxiliary track, substantially as and for the purpose, hereinbefore set forth.

The combination of the carrier with a main track composed of two opposite rails, each having upper and under guide-surfaces that engage corresponding guide-surfaces on the carrier above and below, portions of one of said rail-guide surfaces being removed at stations or points on the track where the carrier is to be applied thereto and removed therefrom to permitthe carrier to be lowered onto and raised up from the said track, the remaining portion of said rail-guide surfaces at such points serving to support and guide the carrier, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the carrier, a main track composed ot two opposite rails, each having upper and under guide-surfaces that engage corresponding guide-surfaces on the carrier above and below, portions ot one of TOO IIO

said rail-guide surfaces being removed at the station or point on the track Where the carrier is to be removed therefrom, and an aux iliary or delivering' track at said station, inn clined to the line of the main track, composed of two opposite rails adapted to engage lateral longitudinal anges on the said carrier distinct from those parts of the carrier which engage the main track, substantially as and 'for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination of a track and propelling-cord moved parallel thereto, with carriers movable on said track, provided with a cord-engaging clutch ,composed of a cord-1e oei-ving member consisting' of an arm at` tached to the carrier, and a movable member consisting' of a finger supported on an arm connected with the rock-shaft, and a cani on said-rock-shaft and spring co-operating therewith to retain the said clutch in its open and closed positions, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the main track and the 'propelling-cord movin g; substantially parallel therewith, with the carrier moving on sald track, provided with a cord-engaging@ clutch having` a cord-receiving member con; i

sisting of an arm attached to the body of the carrier and provided at its extremity with a laterally proj ectingl ing'er, and a member movable toward and from said cord-receiving` member in an arc substantially tangential to the line of movement of said cord, snbstan tially as set forth.

6. The combination of the main track and propelling-cord moving` substantially parallel therewith, with a carrier movable on said track, provided with a cord-engaging clutch havin g a cord-receiving member consisting' of an arm attached to the body of the carrier and provided near its extremity with an inclined cord-engaging recess, and a member movable toward and from said cord-receiving member in an are substantially tangential to the movement of said cord, substantially as set forth.

In testimony Whereotl l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH C. MARTIN.

litnessesz Jos. P. LivERMoRE, M. E. HILL. 

